Carib Scope

标签： Dominican Republic

多米尼加共和国

  • UNICEF calls for improved menstrual health conditions in Dominican schools

    UNICEF calls for improved menstrual health conditions in Dominican schools

    In the Dominican Republic, a concerning new data analysis from UNICEF has brought widespread systemic gaps in menstrual health management into sharp focus. Drawing on official survey data collected through the 2019 Enhogar-MICS initiative, the United Nations children’s agency found that more than one in five Dominican women are forced to halt their regular daily routines when they are menstruating, a statistic that underscores deep, persistent barriers to accessing dignified care for this basic biological need.

    As the global community marked Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, UNICEF issued a pressing call for expanded, targeted interventions to ensure all girls and adolescent women across the country can manage their menstruation with dignity. The organization outlined that overlapping challenges—from restricted access to affordable, reliable hygiene products and inadequate sanitation infrastructure to a lack of evidence-based health education and supportive social environments—are actively undermining women and girls’ fundamental rights to health, equal access to education, and full participation in public and community life.

    Carlos Carrera, UNICEF’s top representative in the Dominican Republic, stressed that equitable access to comprehensive menstrual health support is a non-negotiable foundation for advancing gender equality across the Latin American and Caribbean region. Carrera added that barriers to care have tangible, harmful consequences: a significant number of girls across the region skip school entirely during their menstrual periods, creating long-term gaps in educational attainment that entrench gender inequality. The report also shines a spotlight on the compounded challenges faced by adolescents living with menstruation-related health conditions such as endometriosis, which often amplifies pain and functional limitations that further restrict school attendance and engagement in daily activities.

    To address these gaps, UNICEF has laid out a clear set of recommendations for national and local stakeholders, singling out the Dominican Ministry of Education as a key actor in driving change. The agency calls for urgent investments to upgrade school infrastructure, including expanding access to clean drinking water and individual, private toilet facilities for students, alongside ensuring free or low-cost menstrual hygiene products are readily available on school campuses. It also urges the integration of comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual education that covers menstrual health into national school curricula.

    Beyond infrastructure and curriculum changes, UNICEF is pushing for targeted training to equip teachers to support students navigating menstrual health challenges, the development of robust gender-centered national public policies, widespread community outreach campaigns to reduce harmful stigma, and accessible psychological support for those navigating painful or disabling menstrual health conditions. A key, often overlooked component of the agency’s proposal is a call to actively engage boys and young men in open conversations about menstruation, an approach designed to break down social stigma, build broader community empathy, and foster a more inclusive, supportive environment for all.

  • INFOTEP and Asonahores discuss new training initiatives for tourism and gastronomy

    INFOTEP and Asonahores discuss new training initiatives for tourism and gastronomy

    HERMANAS MIRABAL, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — Two leading Dominican institutions have opened strategic negotiations to form a new partnership that aims to upgrade skills training for the fast-growing tourism and gastronomy sectors, a key economic pillar of the Caribbean nation. The National Institute of Technical and Professional Training (INFOTEP) and the Dominican Republic Association of Hotels and Tourism (Asonahores) gathered at the Hermanas Mirabal Technological Center to outline their collaborative goals, bringing together senior leadership from both organizations to advance the initiative.

    Leading the INFOTEP delegation was Rayza Pichardo, the institute’s Director of Business Competitiveness, while Asonahores was represented at the talks by its Executive Vice President Aguie Lendor. At the core of the proposed alliance is a shared commitment to modernize existing technical training curricula and adjust educational frameworks to align with the shifting trends and growing demands of the global hospitality and tourism industry. As international travel continues its post-pandemic recovery, Dominican tourism stakeholders have pushed for more targeted workforce development to maintain the country’s competitive edge in the Caribbean travel market.

    Participants put forward a range of actionable proposals to advance the collaboration during the introductory meeting. One of the flagship initial plans calls for selecting five existing INFOTEP training centers to operate as pilot sites, where new educational approaches can be tested, performance can be assessed, and gaps in current programming can be identified for iterative improvement. Asonahores also put forward a proposal to integrate active industry professionals from local hotels and restaurants into instructor retraining programs, allowing INFOTEP teaching staff to gain first-hand insight into the latest operational dynamics, service standards, and emerging trends shaping the sector today.

    Lendor outlined details for a particularly high-priority project: the development of a cutting-edge culinary training hub hosted at the Hermanas Mirabal Technological Center. The proposed center is designed to become a national reference point for innovation in Dominican gastronomy and haute cuisine, helping to elevate the country’s culinary profile both domestically and internationally as a food tourism destination. Another key proposal put forward during the talks is the creation of a dedicated digital job placement platform that will connect INFOTEP’s trained graduates directly with hotels and restaurants across the country that are struggling to fill open positions with qualified, skilled workers.

    Representatives from INFOTEP emphasized the far-reaching benefits of the proposed partnership, noting that the aligned training framework will not only strengthen the overall business competitiveness of the Dominican tourism sector but also improve employment outcomes for young people and job seekers across the country. By matching technical education directly to the on-the-ground needs of employers, the alliance aims to reduce skills gaps and create more sustainable, formal employment in one of the nation’s largest employment-generating sectors. INFOTEP officials reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward quickly to formalize the strategic alliance and advance the joint projects focused on innovation and specialized workforce development in the coming months.

  • Eco-Bahia Foundation showcases Cayo Levantado restoration project at international congress

    Eco-Bahia Foundation showcases Cayo Levantado restoration project at international congress

    When leading botanical and conservation experts from across the Caribbean and Central America gathered in Santo Domingo for the 2026 International Botanical Bridges Congress, hosted at the Dominican Republic’s National Botanical Garden, one standout initiative took center stage: the award-winning ecological restoration work at Cayo Levantado Resort, spearheaded by the Eco-Bahia Foundation with backing from Piñero.

    Far from a standard tourism development project, the Cayo Levantado restoration has reimagined what sustainable travel can look like in the Caribbean, blending biodiversity protection with thriving hospitality operations. The project’s leaders framed it as a replicable blueprint for balancing economic growth from tourism with long-term ecological health, drawing keen interest from attendees representing scientific institutions, environmental nonprofits, and policy bodies across the region.

    During the congress, Juan Uranga González, an environmental engineer leading the on-site restoration work, broke down the dramatic transformation that has reshaped the resort’s landscape. Rather than sticking to the water-heavy, non-native landscaping common to many Caribbean hospitality sites, the team rebuilt the area into a climate-resilient native ecosystem centered on local and endemic plant species. Official biodiversity surveys conducted at the site have documented 308 distinct plant species, 67 percent of which are native to the Dominican Republic – a remarkable shift from the resort’s original landscaping that relied heavily on water-intensive, non-native ornamental plants.

    Following presentations at the congress, participating experts traveled to Cayo Levantado for an on-site tour, allowing them to observe the restored ecosystem’s progress firsthand. Alex Matás, a key stakeholder in the initiative, emphasized that the project defies the common misconception that tourism and conservation are incompatible. Instead, Matás noted, the Cayo Levantado model proves that the travel sector can overhaul its operations to cut ecological harm, protect native biodiversity, suppress invasive species, and still deliver high-quality visitor experiences.

    The restoration project was developed in close collaboration with the Dr. Rafael María Moscoso National Botanical Garden, a partnership that highlights the power of linking academic scientific research with private sector tourism development. Organizers of the congress noted that this cross-sector collaboration makes the Cayo Levantado project particularly valuable for other regions grappling with how to advance ecosystem restoration while supporting livelihoods tied to travel.

    Key themes of this year’s International Botanical Bridges Congress ranged from large-scale ecosystem restoration and native flora conservation to urban sustainability, the expansion of global seed bank networks, and expanding public environmental education. The inclusion of the Cayo Levantado project as a featured case study underscores the growing global focus on integrating conservation into high-impact economic sectors like tourism, particularly in biodiversity-rich tropical regions.

  • Butterfly Parade against violence toward women set for June 6 in Salcedo

    Butterfly Parade against violence toward women set for June 6 in Salcedo

    In the Dominican Republic’s Hermanas Mirabal province, a major annual equestrian event uniting equestrian enthusiasts, social advocacy and tourism promotion is preparing to welcome more than 1,500 participants next month. The Butterfly Parade for Non-Violence Against Women, scheduled to kick off on the morning of June 6, is backed by three national government agencies: the Ministries of Sports, Tourism and Agriculture. It is organized by the province’s Office for the Development of Women.

  • Government declares land of public utility for Las Américas Highway expansion

    Government declares land of public utility for Las Américas Highway expansion

    One of the Dominican Republic’s most critical transportation arteries is set to undergo a major overhaul after President Luis Abinader signed an executive order designating over 25,000 square meters of land in Boca Chica as a public utility and social interest priority. The approval, formalized through Decree 270-26 issued on April 22, paves the way for the expansion and reconstruction of Las Américas Highway, a project that has been years in the planning as part of the administration’s broader national development agenda.

    The parcels of land covered by the decree include private properties owned by 45 individual landholders and 9 separate corporate entities across the Boca Chica and Andrés districts. According to official statements from the government, the core objectives of the infrastructure upgrade are far-reaching: the project will ease chronic traffic gridlock, cut regional transportation costs, upgrade road safety standards, and improve overall mobility and accessibility for residents and commercial traffic across eastern Santo Domingo.

    Beyond transportation improvements, the government emphasizes that the highway expansion will act as a catalyst for growth in one of the country’s most important tourism zones. Boca Chica, a popular coastal tourist destination located adjacent to Las Américas International Airport, stands to see major economic benefits from the upgrade, which is projected to boost local tourism activity, strengthen regional infrastructure, and elevate the area’s national and international profile as a travel destination.

    Overseeing all aspects of the project, including land acquisition and compensation for affected property owners, is the Dominican Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC). Officials have confirmed that the ministry will first seek voluntary negotiated agreements with all landowners, but will pursue formal legal expropriation in line with Dominican national law if an agreement on compensation cannot be reached.

    Public transparency records show that the Dominican government has already allocated more than 1.28 billion Dominican pesos to strategic infrastructure projects across Boca Chica, including prior reconstruction and expansion work on the La Caleta–Las Américas International Airport–Boca Chica segment of the highway. This current land declaration is part of a larger, long-term development push spearheaded by the Abinader administration that ties infrastructure investment directly to tourism growth.

    One of the flagship initiatives tied to this broader agenda is the “Universal Sanitation of Coastal and Tourist Cities” program, which receives financing from the Inter-American Development Bank. The $380 million regional project targets sanitation and environmental infrastructure improvements along 200 kilometers of Dominican coastline stretching from Boca Chica all the way to Punta Cana. Once completed, the program is projected to deliver public health and quality of life benefits to more than one million Dominican residents.

  • Dominican Republic adopts WE Finance Code, marking regional milestone in financial inclusion

    Dominican Republic adopts WE Finance Code, marking regional milestone in financial inclusion

    In a groundbreaking move for gender-inclusive economic development, the Dominican Republic has made history as the first nation in Latin America and the Caribbean to embed mandatory gender-disaggregated MSME financing data reporting into its national financial supervision regulatory framework.

    The new rule, issued by the Superintendency of Banks of the Dominican Republic (SB) via official circular CSB-REG-2026000008, imposes quarterly reporting requirements on all licensed banks and other regulated financial entities operating within the country. Under the mandate, institutions must break down data on micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) financing by the gender of business ownership, including detailed records of the share of female ownership for each client, the volume of loan applications from women-led ventures, approval and rejection rates, and documented justifications for every loan denial. The first mandatory reporting period will conclude on September 30, 2026, giving institutions time to adjust their internal data systems to meet the new standards.

    This policy intervention is directly aligned with the global WE Finance Code initiative, a collaborative program spearheaded by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The core mission of the WE Finance Code is to close the persistent global financing gap that disproportionately blocks growth opportunities for women-led businesses, which are systematically more likely to face credit access barriers than male-owned enterprises.

    Recent high-level coordination meetings brought together representatives from the SB, the Dominican Republic Bankers Association (ABA), and the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) to map out the next stage of implementation. A key milestone on the agenda is the preparation of the Dominican Republic’s first national report of gender-disaggregated financial indicators to be submitted to the OECD for regional and global benchmarking.

    Private sector buy-in for the initiative has been nearly universal across the Dominican financial system. The ABA confirms that 26 major financial institutions, which collectively hold approximately 97% of all assets in the country’s financial sector, have already formally joined the WE Finance Code initiative. Since collaborative work on the framework launched in 2023, participating entities have collaborated to develop unified reporting standards, build out the technical infrastructure required for consistent data collection, and adopt a shared regulatory definition of women-led MSMEs that aligns with the new national mandate.

    The IDB Group’s private sector lending arm, IDB Invest, has provided critical financial backing to advance the effort, committing over $160 million in targeted investments and financing programs designed to expand affordable capital access for women entrepreneurs across the Dominican Republic.

    Today, the WE Finance Code operates in more than 33 countries across all regions of the world. With the Dominican Republic’s landmark regulatory integration, proponents expect the initiative to gain further momentum and expand rapidly across other Latin American and Caribbean nations in the years ahead, opening up new economic opportunities for millions of women business owners across the region.

  • Onesvie says Naco inspections were part of seismic evaluation training

    Onesvie says Naco inspections were part of seismic evaluation training

    In Santo Domingo, a recent wave of confusion among residents of the National District’s Naco sector over unprompted building inspections has been resolved by the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), the country’s leading public body for seismic risk management. The agency has confirmed that the teams spotted carrying out structural assessments in the area were affiliated with the Dominican Network of Structural Evaluators (REED), a national technical program focused on upgrading the Dominican Republic’s seismic preparedness and structural safety standards.

    According to an official statement from Onesvie, the Naco sector activity was not a random or unauthorized operation, but a supervised field training exercise for students enrolled in the institution’s specialized Building Evaluation Diploma. This credential program was created to build a skilled workforce of structural engineers and construction professionals capable of accurately identifying seismic vulnerability across the country’s building stock.

    Onesvie further detailed that the field practice, conducted between May 12 and 15, was strictly limited to external visual surveys of building exteriors. At no point did participants enter private residential or commercial properties, nor did they carry out any modifications, structural alterations, or invasive testing on the structures they observed. All participants carried official institutional identification throughout the exercise to verify their affiliation with the program, the agency added.

    The clarification comes after out-of-context misinformation spread across local community networks, leading some Naco residents to link the technical training activity to unrelated government or private operations, sparking unnecessary uncertainty and concern among local property owners.

    In its statement, Onesvie reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to transparency, public safety, and proactive national seismic prevention work. The agency stressed that continuous technical training and widespread structural evaluations are critical investments that save lives and protect critical national infrastructure from the impact of potential seismic events.

    To further expand public access to seismic safety resources, authorities also issued a call to action for Dominican citizens who are interested in obtaining a free professional building evaluation. Those seeking the service are encouraged to reach out to Onesvie through its verified official communication channels and digital platforms to access accurate guidance and process requests.

  • Abinader announces RD$20 billion transformation plan for Boca Chica

    Abinader announces RD$20 billion transformation plan for Boca Chica

    BOCA CHICA, Dominican Republic — Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader has launched an ambitious, multi-sector transformation initiative for the coastal municipality of Boca Chica, backed by over RD$20 billion in combined public and private investment. The sweeping project aims to reposition this popular coastal community as a leading hub for tourism, logistics, and broad-based economic development across the country.

    Strategically located adjacent to Las Américas International Airport and the growing Caucedo logistics corridor, the Boca Chica development plan allocates funding across nearly every core sector of urban life. Large-scale investments are earmarked for sanitation infrastructure, road networks, new tourism developments, affordable housing, education facilities, healthcare services, and expanded public recreational spaces. The overarching goal is to build a modern, environmentally sustainable, community-focused urban center that benefits both existing residents and future visitors and investors.

    During the project’s official launch event, Abinader framed the initiative as a cornerstone of the country’s long-term national development vision, centered on three core priorities: inclusive economic growth, comprehensive urban renewal, and measurable improvements to quality of life for local residents. He stressed that the plan is a collaborative effort, bringing together resources and expertise from the national central government, local municipal authorities, and private sector stakeholders to deliver organized, sustainable growth across both Boca Chica and the neighboring community of Andrés.

    The single largest component of the public investment package is led by the National Institute of Water Potabilization and Sewerage (Inapa), which has been allocated more than RD$11 billion to deliver critical sanitation and environmental infrastructure upgrades. The Inapa project includes construction of a completely new municipal sewer network, a modern wastewater treatment plant, and a regulated submarine outfall. All three components are designed to protect the ecologically and economically vital Boca Chica beach, improve regional groundwater quality, and strengthen long-term environmental resilience along the Dominican coast.

    On the transportation front, the government has outlined a series of major mobility and connectivity upgrades to support the area’s growth. Key projects include extending the Ecological Avenue corridor to the Multimodal Port, comprehensive rehabilitation work on the Las Amícas marginal road, and full paving for more than 125 kilometers of local streets. Government officials note that these infrastructure improvements will cut down on chronic traffic congestion, strengthen regional connectivity, and create the reliable transportation network needed to support logistics, tourism, and small business growth across eastern Santo Domingo.

    Community-focused urban renewal forms another core pillar of the plan. Renovation work is scheduled for the high-traffic Duarte Street commercial corridor and the popular Boca Chica Park, while a new public boardwalk will be developed in Andrés. The site of the area’s former sugar mill will also be transformed into a large-scale recreational park, complete with dedicated sports zones, pedestrian walking trails, and flexible cultural event spaces for local families and visiting tourists.

    Private sector investment will play a central role in the transformation, anchored by the large-scale Costa Blanca mixed-use development project. The complex will include hundreds of new residential units, new luxury and mid-scale hotels, expanded commercial retail and dining districts, and a public linear park along the beachfront. As part of the project, the initiative will also support the organized relocation of existing informal beach vendors, a move designed to modernize the tourism zone without displacing local small businesses or eroding the area’s unique community character.

    Additional public projects outlined in the plan include new primary and secondary schools, expanded childcare centers, upgraded local healthcare clinics, new public sports facilities, energy-efficient smart LED streetlights across the municipality, and widespread upgrades to the regional electrical grid. Authorities also confirmed that more than 2,000 formal property titles will be issued to local resident families, a measure intended to strengthen long-term housing security and boost household economic stability for low- and middle-income communities in Boca Chica.

    Government and project leaders describe the comprehensive Boca Chica transformation as the opening of a “new era” for one of the Dominican Republic’s most iconic beach destinations. The initiative balances targeted tourism growth, critical infrastructure modernization, and inclusive long-term economic development to deliver benefits that extend beyond Boca Chica to the entire eastern Santo Domingo region.

  • COE expands yellow alert for Santo Domingo and 11 provinces

    COE expands yellow alert for Santo Domingo and 11 provinces

    On Tuesday, the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) rolled out an expanded network of severe weather alerts across the country, ramping up preparedness measures in response to predicted dangerous precipitation and storm activity. Eleven provinces and the National District have been placed under yellow alert, the second-highest warning level, while six more provinces remain under lower-level green alert as atmospheric conditions set the stage for heavy rain, thunderstorms and potential flash flooding.

    Meteorological and hydrological agencies, the National Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) and the National Institute of Water Resources (Indrhi), have traced the unstable weather pattern to three overlapping atmospheric drivers: a low-pressure trough lingering over the region, a tropical wave moving south of Hispaniola, and increased daytime heating that is amplifying atmospheric instability. These combined conditions are forecast to trigger intense localized downpours, severe electrical storms, powerful wind gusts, and even isolated episodes of hail across multiple regions of the nation.

    The areas elevated to yellow alert include Monte Plata, Sánchez Ramírez, Santo Domingo, San Cristóbal, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, San Pedro de Macorís, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, María Trinidad Sánchez and La Altagracia, in addition to the capital’s National District. The six provinces maintaining green alert are Duarte, particularly the low-lying Bajo Yuna region, San José de Ocoa, Peravia, Santiago, La Romana and Samaná. Green alert status indicates that while residents should remain watchful for changing conditions, the threat level is lower than in areas under yellow alert.

    Emergency officials have flagged the most at-risk regions for severe weather, including the country’s northeast, the fertile Cibao Valley, the eastern plains, the Central Mountain Range, and all Caribbean coastal areas. To prevent preventable accidents and casualties, the COE has issued clear public safety guidance: residents are strongly advised to avoid attempting to cross swollen rivers, streams and steep ravines where water levels have risen rapidly. Authorities also recommended that the public steer clear of all recreational bathing sites in provinces currently under active weather alert, as fluctuating water conditions can create hidden hazards.

  • Capex brings government and business leaders Together in Santiago

    Capex brings government and business leaders Together in Santiago

    SANTIAGO, Dominican Republic — A high-profile business gathering focused on long-term national economic strategy brought together top government officials and private sector leaders this Tuesday, with Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Peña headlining the guest list for the industry luncheon “Building the Future from a Business Vision.” Organized by business association Capex and hosted at the UTESA Dominican Convention and Culture Center, the event centered on a keynote address from legendary Dominican tourism entrepreneur Frank Rainieri, drawing cross-sector attendance from executives, public policymakers, and representatives of the country’s key productive industries.

    In her opening remarks at the summit, Vice President Peña underscored the critical value of collaborative public-private dialogue to shape the Dominican Republic’s long-term economic trajectory. She paid public tribute to Rainieri, crediting his decades of work as a foundational driver of the Dominican tourism sector’s transformation and broader national economic expansion.

    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Peña framed Rainieri as a pioneering visionary whose decades of on-the-ground experience offer invaluable lessons for the country’s next chapter of growth. She also addressed ongoing volatility in the global economic landscape, confirming that the administration of President Luis Abinader remains proactive in monitoring shifting international conditions. The government, she noted, is rolling out targeted policy measures designed to safeguard broad-based economic stability and protect vulnerable industries and communities from external headwinds.

    During his keynote presentation, Rainieri walked attendees through the humble, challenging origins of Punta Cana, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic tourism destinations. He recalled the steep obstacles development teams faced decades ago, when the region was marked by sparse basic infrastructure and limited connectivity to the rest of the country. Reflecting on the project’s eventual success, Rainieri pushed back on common framing of the achievement as mere luck or coincidence. “Some call it opportunity, others call it luck; I call it vision,” he stated, emphasizing that Punta Cana’s steady growth was the product of intentional, decades-long strategic planning.

    Beyond his own tourism legacy, Rainieri outlined core principles he said are required to deliver lasting, sustainable progress across the Dominican economy. He argued that enduring growth depends on three key pillars: building intentional strategic alliances between public and private stakeholders, maintaining flexibility to adapt to shifting market conditions, and sustaining consistent investment in high-gloom sectors outside of tourism. Key sectors he highlighted for future investment included manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agro-industry, and domestic production with enhanced value-add, all of which he said can drive diversified, inclusive growth for the nation.

    The closed-door luncheon and discussion created a rare space for cross-sector exchange, with attendees focusing on three core themes for national development: strong, forward-looking leadership, widespread innovation across industries, and unlocking untapped opportunities for expanded economic growth across the Dominican Republic.